Molding-machine.



G. RITTER.

MOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. s. 191s.

Patented May 9,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

TVITNESSES:

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MOHAWK G. RITTER.

MOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED ITI-18.3. |916- l, 1825708. Patented May 9,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTORNEY.

G. RITTER.

MOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3. |916.

L182,?08. Patented May 9,1916. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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GEORGE RITTER, 0F '.PINCKNEYVILLE, ILLINOIS.

IVIOLDIN G-IVIACI-IINIE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1916.

Application led February 3, 1916. Serial No. 75,992.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE RITTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pinckneyville, in the county of Perry and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Molding-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in molding machines; and it consists in the novel features of construction more fully setforth in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

The present invention is directed to improvements in machines for molding concrete blocks, and has for its object to pro- "vide a machine which shall be simple, easy to manipulate, .one containing a minimum number of parts, one which is light and ortable, and one possessing further and other advantages apparent from the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the machine in charging position; Fig. 2 is a top plan thereof; Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the saine; Fig. t is a view similar to Fig. 1 with parts however shown in ejecting or discharging position; Fig. 5 is a vertical crosssection on the line 55 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal sectional detail through the mold boX showing the parts in readiness for ejecting the molded block; Fig. 7 is a sectional detail on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1; and Fig. S is a perspective of one of the molded blocks.

Referring to the drawings, F represents a supporting frame or base. of any convenient design and construction not necessary to describe in detail, being within the purview of the skilled mechanic. Mounted across the frame is a cross-bar 1 terminating in up-turned arms or brackets 2, 2, between which is pivotally mounted at one end a vertically oscillating mold-supporting frame 3, the free ends of whose side members are provided on the inside with spring latches a, a, for a purpose to presently appear. Secured to the side members of the frame 3 at points suitably removed from the hingeaxis thereof, and fastened to the inner faces of said sides, are pairs of U-shaped straps or stirrups l, el., spaced apart, the inner shorter arms of the stirrups being connected by a guide plate operating between the side walls of the mold-box B, the lower edges of the plates being provided with angle. bars 6 extending beyond the ends of the plates, said projecting ends coming in contact with the edges of said walls for limiting the movement of the mold-box during the ejection of the molded block, as will more fully hereinafter appear.- Secured to the sides of the mold-box by means of angle brackets 7 are the channel stilfeners 8, forming enlargements on the sides of the moldbox, one of said enlargements having secured thereto by hinges 9 a gage-frame 10 whose inner edges are liush with the inner faces of the four walls of the mold-box B. The side of the frame opposite the hinges 9 is provided with brackets 11 from which depend the hinged latches 12 which hook under the lower edge of the hinge member of the frame 3, and thus lock the gage-frame to the mold-box B. rI`he bottom b of the mold-box is secured to the ends of the short arms of the stirrups 4l, said bottom being provided with removable forms D of any desired shape to impart the necessary shape to the finished block C as shown in Fig. 8.

1`he mold-boi; B (that is to say, the inclosing walls thereof) is movable relatively to the bottom b, the boX being provided with terminal trunnions 13 to whose outer ends are secured inwardly turned fingers or hooks 14, between which and the trunnions are inserted the short curved lever arms of a bent U-shaped ejecting lever-frame 15 hinged to the frame 3, the trunnions 13 being preferably carried by the plates 16 which serve to reinforce the end walls of the mold-box, and to which the angle-brackets 7 are in turn secured, (Fig. 5).

As shown by the dotted position in Figs. 1 and 2, the gage-frame 10 when not in serv ice is swung outward or away from the box B, the latches a, a, being first pushed back to permit the frame to pass, after which and upon release of the latches, the latter automatically spring inwardly, locking the frame against movement, the free ends of the latches being provided with recesses or notches a to receive the sides of the said frame. In practice the frame 10 is first swung against and locked to, the box B, and the latter filled with concrete or other composition, and carefully leveled off by passing a trowel across the top of the gageframe. lVhen this frame is swung back to the dotted position (Figs. 1, 2'), it leaves thc material in the box projecting above the box a fraction of an inch, or an amount represented by the thickness of the gage-frame across which the trowel was passed. After this, the operator with his trowel compresses the material thus exposed above the edges of the box, into the box, the thickness of the frame 10, gaging the degree to which successive charges shall be pressed into the box, and thus insuring a uniform product. In other words, each charge is squeezed into the box to the same degree, that degree being determined or gaged by the thickness of the frame 10, which when swung away from the mold-box leaves the material projecting out of the box a thickness represented by the thickness of the gage-frame resting against the edges of the box. After the material is leveled to the plane of the edges of the box walls, a board or lid E is deposited en the box upon the material and temporarily clamped in position by the latches 17 hinged to the bases of each pair of stirrups 4, 4, (Fig. The contents of the mold is then ready to be discharged. This discharge is effected as follows: Assume that the box B has been filled with composition or concrete, leveled off, and compressed as described, the gage-frame 10 being locked to the operating frame 3, and the board E being clamped to the mold-box. Thereupon the operator swings the entire mechanism to the right (Fig. 1) or until the board E bears against the top of the base frame F. In this swing of the parts as described, the trunnions 13 of the mold-box will now rest on the upper curved edges of the short lever arms of the ejecting lever frame 15, the hooks of the fingers 14 being at the bottom (Fig. 1 dotted showing). By now depresslng the frame 15 to the position shown in Fig. 4, the box will be raised (the bottom b thereof being now at the top as clearly apparent from Fig. 4), the trunnions 13, 13, in the lifting of the box traversing the space between the outer arms of the stirrups 4, 4, this raising movement continuing until the sides of the box between which the plates 5 operate, foul the terminals of the angle-bars 6, when the parts are arrested. By that time the ejecting frame 15 will lie in the plane of the operating frame 3 (Fig. 4), and the bottom Z) will just barely be exposed below the box. This leaves the block of concrete C resting on the board E, the latter being disconnected from the stirrups 4 by disengaging the latches 17 from the board. Thereupon the operator (with the lever frames 3, 15, still held in alinement) oscillates the several parts to the left (see dotted position Fig. 4), leaving behind the concrete block C deposited on the board E. By

swinging the parts to the first position or that indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, the box will be in readiness toA receive another charge.

I do not of course wish to be restricted to the details illustrated as they may in a bottom movable relatively thereto, for the L support of the material in the charging position of the box, an oscillating member coupled to the bottom, a member hinged to the oscillating member and coupled to the inclosing' walls, said members jointly opf" f erating to invert the box, a member for the support of the material in the box when said box is inverted, and means for effecting a discharge of the material from the box while supported on said member.

2. In a molding machine, a. mold box oscillatable about a fixed axis, a loose bottom confined in the box for supporting the material charged into the box, a lid for supporting the material for the discharging position of the box, means for inverting the box after the same has been charged, and a member carried by the inverting means for separating' the bottom from the inclosing walls of the box and article.

3. In a molding machine, a mold box oscillatable about a fixed axis, a loose bottom confined in the box for supporting'the material charged into the box, porting the material for the discharging p0- sition of the. box, a hinged lever frame for inverting the box, and a lever frame hinged to the inverting frame and coupled directly to the box walls for separating the latter from the bottom and effecting the discharge of the molded material from the box.

4. In a molding machine, a lever-frame oscillating about a fixed terminal axis, U- shaped stirrups secured in pairs on opposite sides of the frame and spaced apart, a moldbox bottom carried by the inner arms of the stirrups, a U-shaped ejecting lever-frame pivoted to the sides of the first mentioned frame and terminating in short lever arms curved in the planes of oscillation of the arms, a mold box loosely surrounding the bottom aforesaid and provided with oppositely disposed trunnions engaging one side of the short lever arms aforesaid, hooks leading from the trunnions and engaging discharging the molded means for supthe said lever arms from the opposite side whereby the box is coupled to the ejecting lever-frame, the trunnions of the box operating freely between the stirrups vaforesaid, substantially as set forth.

5. ln combination lwith a mold-box, a gage-frame hinged thereto and operating to engage the upper edges of the box for the charging position of the latter, means for locking the gage-frame against displacement when swung out of engagement with the box, a bottom for the box movable relatively to the box walls, and latches interposed between the box bottom and a suitable lid for holding the material in the box while being molded.

6. A mold-box comprising a bottom and movable inclosing walls, pairs of U-shaped stirrups secured to the bottom and spaced apart, trunnions leading from the box walls and operating in the spaces between the stirrups, a frame oscillating about a xed terminal axis and secured to said stirrups, a frame hinged to the first frame and coupled to the trunnions aforesaid, plates disposed along the inner arms of the stirrups and operating between opposing walls of the box, and means on the plates for engaging the edges of the box walls for limiting the movement of the box relatively to the bottom thereof.

7. A mold box comprising a bottom and inclosing walls therefor movable relatively to said bottom and operating to oscillate as a unit about a fixed axis exterior to the box,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for a member for swinging the box to discharging position, and a member hinged to the first member for effecting a separating movement between the box-bottom and the inclosing walls thereof, whereby the contents of the box are discharged.

8. In a molding machine, a box provided with a bottom movable relatively to the inclosing walls of the box and chargeable from the top, means coupled to the bottom for temporarily maintaining a lid clamped to the box when filled, means for inverting the box whereby the bottom becomes the top, and the lid the bottom, and means for elevating the box while the bottom is maintained stationary whereby the contents of the box is discharged and allowed to rest on the lid.

9. ln a molding machine, an oscillating frame hinged about a fixed terminal axis, a box bottom rigidly secured to the frame, a discharging frame hinged to the first frame, a box loosely encompassing the bottom aforesaid, and intermediate connections between the box and the last mentioned frame for causing a withdrawal of the box walls from the material charged into the box for an inverted position of the box.

ln testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE RITTER.

l/Vitnesses HARRY A. BmMEs, ELsn M. SniGEL.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

